This week has been a week where Sheffield has been promoted nationally and internationally, as well as making some cost savings for local residents.

Great Yorkshire Run

On Sunday I was part of the Great Yorkshire Run, and saw Sheffield from a different point of view as I panted and puffed through the streets of Sheffield. It was great to see over 8,000 runners on the route and brilliant to see the city getting national and international exposure as part of the Great Yorkshire Run.

My own time was just over 1 hour, not bad considering I had not done any training before hand, although I now know why you need to! I ran with ‘Backing the Bid 2018’ t-shirt to encourage people to get on to the website and vote for Sheffield to be a host city if England gets the 2018 World Cup. www.sheffield2018.co.uk or you can text ‘Sheffield’ to 62018. So show your support!

Large Businesses just as important as small businesses

I went to visit the store manager at Debenhams at the top of the Moor, to discuss how we can help promote the Moor during the time that it is being regenerated.

Debenhams - The Moor

Some brilliant ideas to discuss how we can use the talent of local people to help bring people on to the Moor, as well as help shops, both small and large, which are situated there. It is important to me that at a time of this economic recession, that we do all we can to keep the city centre vibrant and buzzing, so that visitors and local sheffielders alike get a good experience within the city centre.

Great Museums in Sheffield

I was able to meet the new Chair of Sheffield Museums, Sandra Newton, to discuss how we could work together to promote good educational leisure opportunities around the local Museums.

Weston Park Museum

Sheffield is blessed with brilliant Museums for both locals and visitors alike, and we were able to discuss how we can promote the Museums to a wider range of people to ensure that whatever – whether it be Weston Park Museum, Millennium Gallery, Graves Museum or the other museums in the city – we can do all we can to ensure that local people get a brilliant experience when they come and visit. Some exciting ideas were discussed and hopefully these will come to fruition for people in the near future.

Working for the Whole of Sheffield

My monthly chairing of the Sheffield First Partnership, the Board that brings together the Police, Fire, Education, Council and Voluntary Community Sector and business, met this week. We were discussing a number of important issues but particularly concentrated on the next city strategy, which is a plan about the key priorities for Sheffield and how we are all going to come together to improve the quality of life for local Sheffielders, and make sure that there are opportunities for all across the city.

Key issues were about improving the chances for our young people through education, and also looking at issues of health, to ensure that our health service really delivers top quality services for local people.

A Cleaner, Greener Environment

I was able to present to the City Council and City Sameday Couriers Limited certificates for their commitments to the new Eco Stars Scheme in Sheffield. This is a unique scheme within the UK which works on an individual basis with companies who have got fleets of vehicles to reduce the Co2 emissions that they put into the environment. It also helps the company get more value for their pounds by reducing costs on fleet management. This has the affect of making sure that we can all breathe easier, and help reduce the number of people who suffer health problems because of vehicle emissions.

Buy Local, local jobs, local businesses

When I first became Leader of the Council I gave a commitment to try to improve the Council to support local businesses.

I am pleased to say that in that time we have increased the number and the amount of money spent throughout the contracting department from 28 per cent to 63 per cent with business in an ‘S’ postcode.

I have had a meeting with the Buy Local Group – which is local businesses within Sheffield to discuss how we improve supporting local businesses to get on the ladder so that they can try to bid for local contracts.

This is unique in the fact that it is not just the Council but all public sector bodies, Health Service, Fire, Police, Universities, Sheffield College are involved. We are really committed to try to safe local jobs and give opportunities to local businesses. www.buy4sheffield.co.uk

International Sheffield – Saying farewell to international students

We have two brilliant Universities here in Sheffield and I was delighted to say farewell to some Malaysian and Sri Lankan students who had spend three months here in Sheffield at the Hallam University. It was wonderful to see Sheffield helping to educate, and give opportunity to international students and they love the city that they had been in for the last three months.

I was delighted to speak to some of them and their view of Sheffield and how they will become ambassadors for us halfway around the world in promoting Sheffield in their new jobs and whatever they do.

Really, really important that Sheffield has an international profile to ensure that not only will we get students but also international contracts and an international profile.

I do see this as an important part of my role as Leader to make sure that Sheffielders do get opportunities internationally.

Listening to the voice of business

This week also got me in front of local businesses at the Chamber of Commerce Council. We discussed a number of issues including transport, Buy Local, and how we are preparing Sheffield’s economy for the up-turn. A really enjoyable dialogue with local business people who are supportive of the Council keeping our eye on the long-term future of our economy and ensuring that local Sheffielders have opportunities for jobs, training and skills.

As ever, if I can be of any help, then please do not hesitate to contact me at Leader@sheffield.gov.uk and be absolutely assured that I am still working to make sure that this city is one where everyone matters.